Even though Hershey absorbed Scharffen Berger in 2005, the seed of a new movement had been planted.
Among the very first US craft chocolate makers we could find companies like @patricchocolate, @amanochocolate and @askinosie. Capturing the potential of the cacao bean became a fascinating journey for many, and by 2016 there were at least 150 craft chocolate makers in the US…

1. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
Substances called flavanols in cocoa work like blood pressure-lowering drugs called ACE inhibitors. Flavanols stimulate the body to produce nitrous oxide in the blood, which helps open up blood vessels.

Researchers found regularly eating cocoa lowered blood pressure. But 1 per cent of people had stomach aches from over-indulging.

2. MAKES YOU HAPPIER
A study in the Journal Of Psychopharmacology found people who had a 42g dark chocolate drink a day felt more content than people who did not.

Dietitian Junee Sangani explains: “The improvement in mood that people can get from eating chocolate comes from the release of serotonin and endorphins – the feel-good chemicals – in the brain.”

Countless artisanal chocolate bars bear the label “bean to bar”. Chocolatiers will proudly point to it as a sign of quality. But what does it actually mean? Does it represent quality? And how does it relate to specialty, fine, and craft chocolate?

Read on to discover the answers to all these questions, as we take a tour of the cacao supply chain from farm to consumer.

After much consumption of Ocelot Chocolate post Christmas period we thought it was time to get our hands on some of Scotland’s tastiest chocolate for you, our fab customers. Ocelot chocolate is based in Leith and run by the lovely couple pairing Ish and Matt. These guys produce craft chocolate